Monday, January 6, 2014

on riding out the storm

Sometimes, life can get really hard. You’ll be thrown into circumstances where you seemingly have little control. People may try to take advantage or put you in impossible situations. Money woes become even more of a challenge and you don’t have the answers you need. Medical issues may arise that overwhelm you or you may have lost a loved one and your heart is breaking. All of us face a really tough life struggle at some point and feel like it’s going to crush us. Sometimes it will and sometimes it justs give us a real bruising.

Yes, your life has been shaken and your instinct may well be to run away, to hide, to cut yourself off from people. You may be feeling a great deal of fear and anxiety, maybe even the beginnings of depression. But that’s no way to live. You are an amazing person and a one-of-a-kind person. You probably are learning things from your struggle, things about the world, about other people that may be really lousy, but at some point you’ll also be able to recognize that you have great strength because you can withstand this storm.
So when you’re facing an overwhelming struggle, take the hand of someone you love and trust. Allow them to guide you for a little while through the storm and to be strong for you when you most need it. It’s ok to let down your guard and to take rest in the comfort of that other person. This is the time to slow down and breathe. Know that with each breath, whatever it is you’re going through is moving past. Taking a breath will calm you, even for just a moment. Slow your racing thoughts and the thinking that traps you in a negative place. Distract yourself. Remind yourself that there’s a lot of life going on around you: people living their lives, kids going to school, dogs enjoying a good walk, art being created and work being done.

When you come out of the other side of this darkness, you’re going to find that you’ve learned a few things. You’ve stayed true to yourself and held on to your core values. You’ve fought, you’ve felt a lot of pain along the way, but you’ve made it. You’re stronger than you thought you were. You’ve probably shaken off some people you thought were friends and added some good people who stood by your side. Your faith, your passions, your vision of your world may be altered and life may never be the same, but for the lucky ones: in its place may be something even better or at the very least you may now have a better understanding.

So give yourself a lot of downtime – as much as you need. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating well. Spend time with loved ones, whether you feel like it or not. Get outside and breathe fresh air. When you’re ready, find new meaningful ways to spend your time. Surround yourself with positive people. Create art and follow your passions. You are a gift to the world and to the people that love you.